To Thomas Greenleaf

[dateline] Passi near Paris September 8. 1778

[salute] Sir

Your Letter to me from Forton Goal dated in July1 I have lately received, and altho I most Sincerely condole with you under the Misfortune
of your Captivity, yet I rejoice with you in the Continuance of your Health and in
the Humanity, <and> Charity, and Friendship of your British Benefactors.

As to the Assistance you are to expect, you may be assured and you may assure your
fellow Prisoners, that the Commissioners in France have taken a great deal of Pains
to obtain their Liberty: but hitherto { 13 } without Success. And I can promise nothing for the future, but that I will do all
in my Power to procure their Exchange.

You are pleased to compliment me, with “Nobleness of Sentiment,” but would you as
a virtuous Citizen of America, a young Republic, Struggling under infinite Misfortunes,
request or advise me, as a servant of that Republic and a stewart of <its T> a small Part of its Treasure, to indulge a “Nobleness” of Sentiment at the Expence
of our bleeding, burning <Country> impoverished almost ruined Country. It would be very easy for me as long as the public
Money lasted in my Hands to be generous and to get a Character with Persons to whom
I should give, for Magnanimity. But sir as I never engaged in the service of my Country
for the Advancement of my private Interest, So I never entered it to obtain the Character
of Generosity, Magnanimity, or Nobleness of Sentiment.

I must therefore tell you plainly, that I cannot justify to my Constituents nor to
my Self the least degree of Partiality to you on Account of my Acquaintance with your
Fathers Family. That every other Prisoner in Forton and Plymouth has the Same right
with you, to any assistance in my Power to give in my public Capacity. That the State
of the Public Finances is such, that <in my opinion> it is impossible for Us to do more for the Prisoners than We have done. But if you
apply to my Supposed “Nobleness of Sentiments” in my private Capacity, and ask me
to give you or lend you Money out of my private Pockett, you know, or ought to know
that my whole Time and a great Part of my Property and all my Prospects have been
Sacrificed to the public service for a Course of years past and that my Family is
suffering under the Consequences of it.

After all however, if you will write me an Account of any Necessaries that you want
I will Send you the Money out of my private Pocket, if it is a reasonable request
and within the Compass of my very small Abilities. I am your Countryman and humble
servant.2